Using Weeds to Stop Erosion

Our soil is under attack from a number of different sources, some of which are wearing it down. One of those problems is top-soil erosion. As the wind and water bear down on the surface of Earth, it creates any number of problems for the rest of the world. While it is a normal process, it is nonetheless a process that is having a number of different effects, some of which we need to find ways to arrest. The most effective way of dealing with the problem is to cover the soil with some sort of ground cover, and the most effective version of that is simple plants. Fortunately, there are ways to accomplish that.

There are a number of companies working to help farmers and others to cover
areas with plants. The basic idea is that plants help protect the soil underneath
it from the wind while the roots help secure it against water. The plants also
help aerate the soil while fixing nutrients that can help other plants grow.
Companies like Granite Seed
have plenty of information on the seeds that grow into the plants that secure
the soil. Ideally, by growing a series of plants and letting them die or
prosper, depending on the strategy being used, the plants can eventually create
a system where the soil can be rescued. Fortunately, the solution really is
that simple.

How It Works

The basic idea is that the
topsoil is under attack from wind and water. The soil not only provides a
cover for the ground below it but also helps to store carbon, making it
valuable in the fight against greenhouse gases. The wind not only carries it
off but becomes a grinder to force even more soil into the air. The water also
carries off the soil, eventually dumping it into whatever large source of water
is within range. If the process is allowed to continue, not only is more soil
carried off but the soil is unable to store carbon, which exacerbates the
problem. The soil keeps disappearing, carbon gets released into the atmosphere,
and the process continues.

There is a way to help stop this or at least slow it down. Plants can be
used to protect against the wind and the water. On one hand, the plants can
provide cover from the wind, preventing it from picking up any soil in the
first place. On the other hand, their roots can create a network below the
surface of the soil that helps to secure the soil in place as well as provide
aeration that helps to foster further plant growth as well as underground
places for insects to live. They also help fix nutrients into the soil that
help plant growth as well, most importantly nitrogen. All of this helps to
create a thriving ecosystem that can help fend off the wind and water and help
keep the soil exactly where it is.

Other Options

There are other ways to protect the soil. It is possible to cover the soil
with other ground
covers that stop erosion, such as tarps and netting. The problem is that
such solutions are limited in scope and cannot cover the truly large areas that
must be covered. These are better suited to small areas. In order to cover
those large areas, you need plants, especially those that can grow fast with a
fibrous root structure. Ironically, this means weeds that would normally be a
problem may help save the planet.

As noted, most solutions come down to killing them off or letting them
prosper. Some areas are left fallow for long periods of time; these areas are
left alone after the seeds are deposited in the land and the plants are allowed
to invade. Over time the area has a nice cover of plants. Other areas, however,
are meant for cultivation, and so the plants are allowed to go at it for a
season or two and are then killed off. However, this does leave the fibrous
roots in place allowing the plants to keep protecting the soil even when gone.
As other plants replace them, the soil is further protected and stays in place.

Weeds can be used to effectively help stop land erosion and possibly prepare
the soil for other plants. This helps protect the land while showing that
everything really does have a purpose, allowing the planet to breathe a little
easier.

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Meet Tiffany

My name is Tiffany and I am the blogger behind Naturemoms. I live on an urban homestead in Ohio with my husband, three children, and assorted furry friends. When I am not blogging I am usually thrift store shopping, gardening, wildcrafting and food foraging, or otherwise enjoying nature. Enjoy! Read More…